As the confrontation gets escalated between the central government and Seoul metropolitan government over the youth allowance that Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon devised to provide the unemployed young residents in Seoul aged 19-29 with cash income assistance amounting to 500,000 won(US$450) for up to 6 months, Mayor Park wishes to meet President Park Geun-hye to find out a way to help the jobless youth through dialogue and discussion rather than litigation.
Seoul Mayor Park explained in the press conference on August 4 that Seoul city youth allowance is only a pilot program with the allocated budget of 9 billion won(US$8.2 million) or 0.03% of the total budget to resolve serious youth unemployment.
Mayor Park criticized the ex officio revocation issued on August 4 by the Ministry of Health and Welfare(MOHW) to halt the Seoul youth allowance program. MOHW said that since the youth allowance program of the Seoul Metropolitan government has not been agreed or consulted by the Ministry, the youth allowance payment is thus in violation of the article 26 of the Social Security Framework Act.
MOHW issued a correction order on August 3 and official cancellation of the program on the following day. What Seoul city government can do now is to file a petition to the Supreme Court in accordance with the article 169 of the Local Autonomy Act within 15 days. However, Mayor Park chose a meeting with President Park Geun-hye to resolve the confrontation and to find a measure to help the jobless young people.
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